Fall Break Get Away-Part 1

Now that I've got all my baggage from the baseball season checked and put away, its time to tell you about how my wife and I spent our Fall vacation. This year we experienced a familiar place in a different way. 

On Saturday October 5, Paula and I headed south toward east Tennessee. We were spending 3 days in our favorite get away place, the Smoky Mountains. 

This would be our 11th trip since 2010 and 13th over all. Most of those visits have been by ourselves. We did spend a weekend there in 2013 with our friends, Mark & Patty. 

For the first time since our son and daughter in law's wedding we would be with family members. What would make this even more special is that it was a celebration of James & Brandi's 10th anniversary and our grand kids would be with us.

Also, along for the weekend was Brandi's sister, Misty and her family along with their grandmother, Margaret. 

 They decided that they would stay in a cabin at the Preserve Resort where they got married a decade ago. I thought it was a great idea to take their kids back to where their family started.

This picture of the 4 of them at their cabin will be a family memory for years to come. 

The resort is in the foothills above Wears Valley and is a bit of a drive up steep and curvy roads but has some wonderful views. 

Paula and I stayed at Whispering Pines, the condo resort just off the parkway in Pigeon Forge that has become our home away from home in the Smokies. 

We like the convenience of its location and the view from our balcony isn't bad either. 

Those staying in the cabin had arrived on Thursday night and had already had a busy day Friday. They went to the aquarium in Gatlinburg, played mini-golf.  

The day we arrived was James' 31st birthday. That afternoon, at their cabin, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. I apologize for being so off key. 

Brandi's sister made him a peach cobbler as a birthday cake. James loved it. 

The grand kids were all excited about staying in the cabin. As soon as we walked in the door, they showed us all around. 

They also were excited because they were dressed up to go to the new Pirates Voyage show that night. 

 "Pirate Voyage" replaced Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Adventure show in spring of this year.  The building is out in front of "The Island" resort area. 

This was the first time Paula and I would see the show in the Smokies. We had experienced it in May 2018 while in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

We had been to a show in this building in September 2017 when we saw Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountains Adventure show. 

As with all shows in the area the first thing we did when we entered the venue was pose for pictures. 

Then we sat on benches in the lobby waiting to be let into the show room. 

Since they were already dressed like pirates, the kids wanted to get their faces painted to really look the part. 

They looked great and it really made them feel like pirates. I did my best to act surprised when the showed me their new looks. 

The show room for the Pigeon Forge version of Pirate Voyage was a lot smaller than Myrtle Beach. But that was because it had to be fit into a pre-existing venue. 

James and Brandi got us some amazing seats for this show. If you look at the picture below, our seats are circled in red. 

There were the best seats we have ever had for a dinner show anywhere.
Here's the gang as we got ready to enjoy the show. 

Here's a publicity shot of what was on the menu we were served throughout the show: creamy vegetable soup, fried chicken, pork chop, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, biscuit with butter and a peach turnover for dessert.  

The food was all very good. Much better than I expected it to be. I got rather full quickly and didn't eat a lot. In fact I had leftovers to bring home with me.  

At this point I must point out that for me this night was not about seeing one show, but 3. They were all happening around me all at the same time. One was called "Pirates Voyage".  

While being in the front row made for plenty of action taking place right in our faces throughout the show; the coolest moment for our gang came at the very beginning. 

A beautiful red parrot flew out of the backstage area to our right, circled the theater and came back to his trainer who stood right in front of us, 

while there he did some tricks for us. 

 The show had lots of pirate action and a search, of course, for treasure.

It was the blue crew vs. red crew (we we were part of the red crew) in a series of competitions and acrobatic and skills exhibitions throughout the show. This included: sword play, rope climbing tricks, diving stunts, juggling and animal acts (dogs and seals). 

There were subplots involving a secret romance and a Davy Jones animatronic rising from underneath the water. 

The storyline and action in the show main show was pretty much the same as it was in Myrtle Beach. 

It was entertaining and I liked looking for things that I didn't notice the last time I saw it. 

The second show I was watching was the coordinated effort and hard work it took for all the servers to feed a room full of hundreds of people at the same time. 

I paid particular attention to how hard our server, Misty, worked. Not only do the servers have to take care of getting the dinner served in a timely manner and keeping the drinks filled for their section (up to 30 people in 3 rows) but they also participated as flag carriers and sing in the show. 

As someone who really likes to look at the unnoticed elements that help makes an entertaining production, I enjoyed watching this "2nd show". 

Another one of the unnoticed cast members was a guy who set up props for or cleaned up after every act that happened in front of us. His duties included setting out swords, squeegeeing water off the sides of the stage, and even cleaning up a "present" the seals left behind. 

On our way out of the show I made sure I told the guy that I noticed and appreciated the part he played in the production.   

The third show I enjoyed will be the one that's a memory I will cherish for a long long time. It was watching my grandchildren's fascination with their experience. 

Both of them were enthralled and amazed by all that went on around them.  

I got such joy at watching them that at times I found myself oblivious to what was happening on stage. 

Between waving her flag and cheering, I think Aria spent the majority of the show on her feet. 

Gabriel also participated by holding up his sword and gun as his way of taking part in the show.  

Even after we left the show room they were still excited about what they had just seen. 

James then took them to the gift shop where they looked around for a souvenir. 

That's when they discovered the treasure chest of colored stones. I got this candid shot. The little marauders trying to "steal" a little booty for themselves. Of course, they were told that wasn't allowed. 

After we got out of the Pirates theater, we all decided to go to The Island so the kids could see the dancing fountains.    

We parked in the big parking lot and took the shuttle to resort area. Aria rode with us in our car. James, Brandi, Gabriel and Margaret joined us in theirs. 

While waiting at the tram stop I took this sweet picture of Aria & her Nana. 

 As we sat and watched the dancing fountains I took this close up of me and my favorite girl. 

The fountain show we watched featured the song "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey and a country song. I had never heard the country song before so I don't know what it was. I didn't manage to get any video of the fountains. But I did shoot some of my 2nd favorite Island icon. 

I was still excited about the fun we had at Pirate's Voyage. Although we still had another 2 days together with them, I told James, that this first day had already made the trip for me. 

After about 45 minutes at The Island we all decided to call it a night. 

Paula and I headed back to our condo and the Conner family went to their cabin. 

Plans for the next day weren't certain but it would turn out to be yet another memorable day. 

There you have the first day of our Fall Break getaway. Come back next time and I will share with you what we did on day 2 of our time in the Smokies. 

I'd give you a hint but I'd rather keep you in suspension. Have a great weekend everyone.